Chicago Harpist ~ Church Dinner in Willowbrook

The Friday evening before St. Patrick's Day, the members of the Victory Orthodox Apostolic Faith Church gathered at Ashton Place in Willowbrook to celebrate their new pastor's first year with the congregation.  With honored guests from throughout the Chicago area and downstate Illinois, the appreciation dinner was a great success! 

I played harp music ~ mostly hymns and spirituals ~ during dinner service, and then a special piece to honor the pastor.  For that moment, I chose the beautiful "Deep River, My Home is Over Jordan."  It's not only a lovely piece, but is very well adapted to the harp! 

If you are planning a corporate reception, family dinner, or any special occasion, having a harpist provide the music for your guests adds an extra touch of elegance and sophistication.  Visit my website, Chicago Harpist, for details!

Chicago Harpist | Leap Day Wedding in Naperville

Stacy & Alec will never forget their anniversary ~ February 29th!  Even though Leap Day fell on a Wednesday this year, they chose the memorable date to gather with family and friends and celebrate.  The venue for the entire event was Naper Settlement in Naperville, Illinois.  The ceremony took place in the Century Memorial Chapel, then the reception followed just a short walk away in the Pre-Emption House Tavern.

Century Memorial Chapel was built in 1864, and was relocated to Naper Settlement in 1970.  It's a beautiful venue for a wedding!  The ceremony got started a little behind schedule due to a left-behind flower girl dress, but I just kept the prelude music going until the officiant let me know that everyone was ready to begin.  The families and bridal party all entered to Pachelbel's "Canon in D," and Stacy chose the traditional "Here Comes the Bride" for her processional. 

During the ceremony, the couple surprised their parents by presenting them with roses as I played "The Prayer" from Quest for Camelot.  After the vows and ring exchange, the couple lit the unity candle to "Winter" from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.  The recessional was "Trumpet Tune," which sent guests out of the chapel and over to the reception.

Guests enjoyed appetizers and cocktails in the Tavern of the Pre-Emption House.  This building also serves as the visitor center for Naper Settlement museum village, and is a re-construction of the original 1834 building.  As everyone gathered, I played a variety of popular, Broadway, and Irish folk songs. 

Planning a wedding in Chicago?  A harpist can provide all of the music for your ceremony, cocktails, and dinner!  Visit my website, Chicago Wedding Harpist, for information on wedding packages, song lists, and venues.

Elegant Bridal Expo ~ Harpist in Springfield, IL

Along with a large group of wedding photographers, caterers, planners, and other vendors, Jeff and I participated in the Elegant Bridal Expo last Sunday.  Held at the downtown Hilton hotel in Springfield, Illinois, it was a great success!  We enjoyed meeting with so many brides-to-be and chatting for a few minutes about their wedding music. 

We held a drawing for a free hour of harp music at a wedding reception, and our lucky winner will be getting married in April 2013 at Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford, Illinois.  We're looking forward to the celebration!

Photo credit:  Fusion Productions

Fusion Productions also created this video of the show:


Elegant Bridal Expo from Fusion Productions on Vimeo.

Jeff and I still have some openings for 2012 weddings, and we are actively booking 2013 dates.  If you are looking for a harpist in Central Illinois, don't wait long to contact us!  Visit our website, www.TheClassicHarpist.com and fill out the contact form to receive a customized quote for your event.

Springfield Illinois Wedding Planning ~ Bridal Expo at the Hilton

On Sunday, February 26th, we will be participating in the Elegant Bridal Expo held at the downtown Hilton Hotel in Springfield, Illinois.  The show runs from 12-4 pm, and there is a fashion show at 3:15.  Admission is free if you register in advance.

With a wide variety of wedding vendors present, this is the perfect place for engaged couples to get started on their wedding plans, find a few last-minute additions for their day, or just look around for ideas and inspiration.  Live harp music will add to the ambiance, and we'd love to have the opportunity to chat with you about your wedding music plans.  You can even book us right there at the expo!

Stop by our booth ~ we'll be right by the entrance, and we'll be hosting a drawing for free cocktail hour music.  If you can't make it to the show, we are always available by phone (1-877-HARP-578), email, or on our website (www.TheClassicHarpist.com).  Hope to see you there!

Pere Marquette Lodge Wedding ~ Harpist in St. Louis

This wedding was a special treat for me, because I not only know the groom from high school, but we played in orchestra together.  The last time he heard me play was after I'd only had about a year of lessons, so I'm glad he trusted that I had improved since then!  The ceremony and reception were both held at the Pere Marquette Lodge in Grafton, Illinois, with the ceremony taking place in front of the stone fireplace in the lobby.  Perfect for a February wedding! 

As a musician himself, Peter made some great choices for their wedding ceremony music.  The processionals were traditional (Canon in D for the bridesmaids, Bridal Chorus for the bride), but the prelude and postlude were filled with music that you might not expect to hear at a wedding ~ much less so on the harp!

The prelude started off with Stairway to Heaven, and also included A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera, and Mexico by Cake.  They had originally planned for a unity candle ceremony, but decided to skip it and have the piece they selected ~ Rainbow Connection from the Muppets ~ played during the prelude as well.  When I saw that piece on their list, I literally squealed with delight ~ I'm a HUGE Muppets fan!  It's going into my playlist as often as possible!

After Ashleigh and Peter were introduced, they and their wedding party exited the ceremony to the Beatles song Here Comes the Sun.  The postlude followed with more popular pieces, including Sweet Child O' Mine, With a Little Help from My Friends, Unchained Melody, and Willie Nelson's Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.  The groom's father told me the last piece was special to them as it was the first piece that father & son played together for Ashleigh.

I love it when couples choose music that has special meaning to them.  The music for your wedding ceremony is something you will always remember, and I was so excited to work with Peter and Ashleigh and be their wedding harpist.  If you are planning a wedding at Pere Marquette or anywhere in the St. Louis area, please visit my website ~ St. Louis Harpist ~ for details on including harp music in your own wedding!

Harp Recital in Jacksonville, Illinois

After my last performance for this concert series in 2009, I was invited back to give another recital on January 29th, 2012.  The concerts are held under the dome of the Jacksonville Public Library in Jacksonville, IL, and are free and open to the public.  

 

We had a large and appreciative audience, and were delighted to present this recital.  Jeff joined me for a couple of duets, and I played the other solos.  The program included:

Deep River (Spiritual, arr. Dan Burton)

Ground in F with Variations (Henry Purcell)

Canon in D ~ harp duet (Johann Pachelbel)

Sonatina No. 3 in B-flat (F.J. Naderman)

Les pins de Charlannes ~ harp duet (Henriette Renie)

Turkey Strut (Carlos Salzedo)

Angélus (Henriette Renie)

Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma; my own arrangement)

Our Love is Here to Stay from An American in Paris (George Gerswhin; arr. Ray Pool)

All My Loving (Lennon & McCartney; arr. Sylvia Woods)

Glitter in the Air (Alecia Moore; my own arrangement)

Tango from Suite of Eight Dances (Carlos Salzedo) 

Many members of the audience (including my first grade teacher!) came up to speak with me after the recital.  "Autumn Leaves" was a favorite of many!  "Turkey Strut" was a special piece for my dad ~ he's been after me to learn how to play "Turkey in the Straw" since my very first harp lesson, and this Salzedo piece is a concert fantasy on that theme.  Something you might not expect to hear on the harp! 

Thank you to everyone who attended, and to the library for sponsoring the Music Under the Dome concert series!  Jeff and I are available to perform concerts for libraries, schools, and community groups throughout the Midwest and beyond.  Visit our website ~ TheClassicHarpist.com ~ and contact us for details!

South Bend Harpist ~ Medical Center Open House Music

What better way to open a beautiful new facility than to throw an open house gathering with harp music!  The University Commons Medical Center is a new and beautiful state of the art facility that provides a multitude of medical services to the South Bend area.  On January 18, 2012, the Medical Center hosted an open house for people to check out the new facilities while enjoying great food and great music.

During the event, I played a variety of harp pieces that included classical selections as well as modern pop songs ~ everything from Handel to Coldplay to the Beatles.  The harp provides amazing flexibility when it comes to entertaining your guests!

If you are hosting an event and are looking for entertainment, visit our website, South Bend Harpist, to learn more about hiring a harpist.